Books, Booting and Baseball: Boyce shines on field and in the classroom

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By PHIL PERRY

Jackson Newspapers - Ripley, WV

By PHIL PERRY

Posted Nov. 20, 2012 at 8:00 AM

By PHIL PERRY
Posted Nov. 20, 2012 at 8:00 AM

RIPLEY

RIPLEY - The Ripley Middle soccer team conducted business as usual in 2012. It has become a habit that quite frankly, nobody wants to break.

All that the team coached by Shelly Cox did was win their second MVAC crown in a row and finished the season (13-0-1) on the season.

A big part of that success was Remy Boyce, the multi-sport athlete who keeps piling up more statistics than a room full of fantasy baseball owners.

While middle school records in West Virginia (and most other states) are sketchy at best, Boyce has set the season and career record for career goals at Ripley Middle School with 54 on the season. He also notched 16 assists in 2012.

For his career at RpMS, he scored 89 goals and 35 assists. These statistics gave Boyce a ridiculous average of a hat trick (three goals) per game last season.

It is unknown where these numbers rank in the conference and the state of West Virginia.

Coach Cox geared the team’s formations towards Boyce’s talents and with the help of unselfish teammates, they steam-rolled through their schedule this season, unbeaten.

“Remy was able to set what could be the state record for goals this season. He has tremendous skills and speed. His teammates did a fantastic job of getting the ball to him in positions where he could score. I expect great things from Remy at the high school level and beyond,” said Cox.

The versatile athlete was recently named the MVAC and team Most Valuable Player.

Boyce was also a standout hurler and outfielder for coach Todd Layhew’s conference champion baseball squad in 2012 and recently took first place in boys cross-country for the blue and white.

On the diamond last season, Boyce hit .333 as a centerfielder and previously won two championships as a Little Leaguer and played in a game televised by ESPN. As an Atlanta Braves fan, he wears number 3 and patrols centerfield in honor of Atlanta Braves great Dale Murphy, who retired six years before Boyce was born in 1999.

Recently, he set new course records in cross-country at Ravenswood and at St. Marys. The talented runner took first place while his team finished third in the MVAC in 2012.

Through all of this, Boyce has managed to sit on the A-honor roll, the National Junior High Honor Society and even served as a 4-H Natural Helper while juggling his athletic pursuits.

“Remy is a bright young man who is well-liked by his peers and teachers. He takes his academic work seriously. Remy is an asset to Ripley Middle School,” said RpMS English teacher Kathy Reynolds.

As an athlete, Boyce knows he has a lot of work to do as he enters high school competition as a freshman next fall.

Page 2 of 2 - “I have to improve my outside shot, get faster and move better with the ball. I will also be going to a couple of college soccer camps before soccer season next year,” said Boyce.

Boyce plans to keep playing his current sports as a varsity Viking but is contemplating adding track to his growing list of sports.

“I take a lot of pride in being a Viking. I want to be a part of championships in high school. I will continue to work hard in the classroom. It all starts with working hard and pushing myself. I want to be a team player on the field.”